1/26 Recap: Allard sets mark; "Genny" gets tossed

News and notes on a busy Saturday for Sabres prospects... NCAA LW Nathan Gerbe scored the game winning goal late in the second period as Boston College defeated Maine, 4-2. The energetic Eagle wore a target for most of the contest, carrying play to produce a game-high five shots on goal. "Big" Ben Bishop owned the match-up until the shifty junior broke in alone to clank home his 19th of the year. A night after exchanging swipes with the 6'7 Maine goaltender, Gerbe and freshman D Mike Banwell picked up coincidental slashing minors in the second. BC teammate Andrew Orpik collected four penalty minutes in the win, including a minor for a blow to the head. Gerbe's 1.61 points-per-game is still tops in the country as the Eagles head into Friday's game with Providence before kicking off the Beanpot the following Monday. A night after aiding a shutout of #1 Michigan, Michigan State's Tim Kennedy and Corey Tropp were again unable to combine for a goal as the Spartans and Wolverines played to a 2-2 tie. Kennedy had a chance at an open net to start the third, but shot the puck into the sprawling Billy Sauer. MSU looked to be on their way to the sweep until Spartan forward Matt Schepke knocked the puck into his own net with 1:38 to play. It was a strange twist to the weekend after Wolverine Mark Mitera own-goaled the night before. Hobey Baker favorite Kevin Porter was again quieted by the green and white defense, mustering just four shots on goal all weekend for the maize and blue. As expected, Nick Eno got a rest while Bowling Green was swept by Notre Dame, 5-1. In the ECAC, St. Lawrence D Matt Generous was throw out of his game with Rensselaer after a check from behind on Jonathan Ornelas. The Saints defender had just gotten out of the box from a previous scrum before uncharacteristically earning the misconduct. The Engineers beat the Saints, 6-3. Sophomore rearguard Alex Biega could not get any of his three shots past summer prospects camp invitee Mike Devine as Harvard beat Dartmouth, 3-1. CHL In a sad day for St.John's, Jean-Simon Allard scored a goal and two assists as the Fog Devils defeated the Sea Dogs, 5-4. With three more points, the 2007 5th rounder now has a career-best 52 with 19 games remaining. The 6'2 pivot is developing on schedule, on pace for a 72 point finish after going 12+38=50 in 69 games in 2006-07. Foggies D T.J. Brennan was active with the puck, assisting on Allard's tally and using his wheels to jump into the rush. Brennan made a few longs looks up ice, creating an aggressive tempo from the back end. Earlier in the day, it was announced that this would be the Fog Devils last season in the Newfoundland outpost, as new ownership has struck a deal with Verdun. Just outside of Montreal, Verdun receives another QMJHL franchise fourteen years after their last entry folded and five years after the Montreal Rocket bolted for PEI. Elsewhere in the "Q", center Paul Byron was -1 with five shots for Gatineau in an exciting 6-5 OT loss to Rouyn-Noranda. R-N came from St. Hyacinthe via Verdun originally... USHL Future Catamount Drew MacKenzie was -2 in Waterloo's 4-3 win over Lincoln. The rookie has 12 points, leads his team in PIM, and his +4 has been among the team's best all season (compared to UNH bound, NYI draft pick Blake Kessel's -15). The Black Hawks are off until Friday while the league heads to Green Bay for the USHL All-Star Game on Tuesday. AJHL In Grand Prairie, Brad Eidsness manned the South Division net for the first period of the AJHL 2008 All-Star Game. In a game featuring 96 shots on net, the Sioux recruit limited the North to three goals. Northern Michigan recruit Tyler Gron had four goals and two assists to earn MVP as the North defeated the South by a touchdown, 14-7. Rochester (AHL) Finally, Rochester went into the first intermission against Lake Erie holding a 1-0 lead, only to give up five second period goals en route to a 7-2 loss. Adam Dennis faced just two shots in the first, but Lake Erie chased him after scoring four goals in the first 8:38 of the second. Dylan Hunter notched a goal for the Amerks, while Mark Mancari and Mike Weber added assists. With Anthony Stewart and Patrick Kaleta back with the Amerks, Marc-Andre Gragnani played defense for the second straight game. The Montreal native, perviously flourishing as a forward, finished the game a -4. For now, trying to coach the talented AHL rookie into a defenseman is understandable. However, it's not like the Sabres pipeline is rife with left wings, or lacking in puck moving defensemen. Perhaps Grags' playmaking vision gets a permanent look next fall when the Sabres have to ice a full AHL roster.